The Cold War [1945-1991]: An Ideological Struggle

Soviet & Eastern Bloc

Nations[“Iron

Curtain”]

US & the Western

Democracies

GOAL spread world-wide Communism

GOAL “Containment” of Communism & the eventual collapse of the Communist world.[George Kennan]

METHODOLOGIES:1. Espionage [KGB vs. CIA]2. Arms Race [nuclear escalation]3. Ideological Competition for the minds and

hearts of Third World peoples [Communist govt. & command economy vs. democratic govt. & capitalist economy] “proxy wars”

4. Bi-Polarization of Europe [NATO vs. Warsaw Pact]

The United Nations Charter – Preamble

WE THE PEOPLES OF THE UNITED NATIONS DETERMINED• To save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has

brought untold sorrow to mankind, and• to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human

person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and• to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from

treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and• to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,

AND FOR THESE ENDS• to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and• to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and• to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force

shall not be used, save in the common interest, and• to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social

advancement of all peoples,

HAVE RESOLVED TO COMBINE OUR EFFORTS TO ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMSAccordingly, our respective Governments, through representatives assembled in the city of

San Francisco, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations.

The Bipolarization of Europe

George Kennan [“X Article”]: CONTAINMENTGoals Means Actual Application1.Restoration

of the balance of power

2.Reduction of Soviet ability to project outside power.

Encouragement of self-confidence in nations threatened by Soviet expansion.Exploitation of tensions in international communism.

Long-term program of U.S. economic assistance [Marshall Plan]

Cooperation with communist regimes; [supporting Yugoslavia]

The Marshall Plan

3.Modification of the Soviet concept of international relations.

Negotiating settlement of outstanding differences.

Using “carrots & sticks’; containing Germany with an embrace and Russia at arms length.

George Kennan [“X Article”]: CONTAINMENTGoals Means Actual Application

Truman Doctrine - 1947• “I believe that it must be the policy of the United

States to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures. I believe that we must assist free peoples to work out their own destinies in their own way. I believe that our help should be primarily through economic and financial aid, which is essential to economic stability and orderly political processes.”

The Division of Berlin

Berlin Airlift• -map.svg

Berlin Airlift StatisticsDuration: 462 days; June 26, 1948-Sept. 30, 1949.Flights: 278,228 189,963 U.S., 87,841 British, 424 French.Miles flown: 134 million (nearly 1 1/2 times distance to sun).Deaths from crashes: 31 Americans, 39 British, at least 9 Germans.Busiest 24 hours: April 15-16, 1949; 1,398 flights (one landing almost every minute), 12,940 tons of cargo (equal to 22 trains with 50 railcars each).Cargo delivered: 2,326,406 tons, two-thirds of it coal.Candy parachuted: 23 tons.

Berlin Wall – 1961 - 1990

National Defense Budget [1940-1964]

Korean War

[1950-1953]

“Dean, we’ve got to stop the sons-of-bitches no matter what.” - Harry Truman

Korean War[1950-1953]

Syngman Rhee

Kim Il-Sung

“Domino Theory” – Fear that if one country fell to Communism, others around it would

as well.

The Shifting Map of Korea[1950-1953]

The Cold War at Home

HUACHouse Committee on Un-American Activities

• House Un-American Activities Committee• Investigate possible communist activity

– 1947 : movie industry – Hollywood had a number of communists

• Wanted to rid Hollywood of Communist influence

The Hollywood Ten

• What were they accused of??– Disloyalty – Being Communist – Exposing moviegoers to Communist

propaganda• How were they affected??

– Prison– Blacklisted (approx 500 people)

Alger Hiss

• Accused of??– Spying for the Soviet

Union – Passing government

documents to the SU– Perjury

• How was he affected? – Convicted of perjury

and jailed

Ethel and Julius Rosenberg• What were they

accused of?– Spying for the Soviet

Union – Passing information

about the atomic bomb

• How were they affected? – Convicted and executed

“McCarthyism”

• Senator Joseph McCarthy • Needed a winning issue for reelection

– Communists in the government• During a speech he claimed to hold a list

of 205 Communists in State Dept.– Kept changing number

• When challenged he responded with another accusation

McCarthy Telegram to Truman